Southern Winds
by Zenaga the Sea Serpent
Summary: Korra loves Tarrlok, she really does. But there are parts of him that are ugly, twisted things, and she can't help but find it easy to turn her anger on him. Korrlok, series rewrite.
1. The Desk in Tarrlok's Office

So... here's how I decided to do Korrlok Week. All of the prompts are chapters of a single story, so, this story will obviously have 7 chapters total, 1 for each prompt. I'm also doing illustrations for each chapter, so you should see them dotted through the text. Although this story begins with smut, it will be horribly depressing (well, at least I think so) starting on day 3, the prompt being Politics. We all know how much I like angst, now don't we...?

Anyway, I'll shut up now. I hope you enjoy!

First smut I've ever written, so I hope it's not shit.

The prompt is **Smug**.

Regards,

Zenaga the Sea Serpent

* * *

**Chapter 1:** The Desk in Tarrlok's Office

* * *

It was a warm, summer evening in Republic City when Korra found herself entering the ballroom of City Hall, wearing her blue, somewhat traditional Water Tribe dress. A rather irritated Tenzin stood by her side, Pema and his children lingering behind. Korra couldn't help but smirk at Tenzin, amused by his inability to disguise his dislike towards the event that they were attending. "Have you any idea what Tarrlok wants from you this time, Korra?" He asked as they stopped before the front steps, waiting for Tenzin's family to catch up. Korra looked up at him raising an eyebrow.  
"Who said that he wants anything from me? Even if he is kind of sleazy, he's still a person. Tarrlok is free to throw a party if he wants, right? He doesn't necessarily have an ulterior motive." Tenzin scowled at the familiar tone which she used to talk about Tarrlok. "Besides, even if he does have an ulterior motive, how am I supposed to know? I've only been working with the man for two months," she said, causing Tenzin to harumph and look away from her. _Maybe you've only been working with him for two months, but an unexpectedly large part of that two months has been spent in his company, _thought Tenzin. Indeed, Korra had been spending a lot of time with the Councilman, and although he was rather suspicious, he did his best to brush off his concerns. He knew that Korra was very enthusiastic about the Task Force, although she had been reluctant to join at first. Korra was a smart girl, and he hoped that perhaps she would be able to convince Tarrlok to direct his efforts with the Task Force towards more of the crime within the city, and less on non-bender discrimination.

Letting out a sigh, he looked back at the city hall. "Well, shall we, Avatar Korra?" He asked gesturing to the building. She smiled at him.

"Absolutely, Councilman Tenzin."

* * *

"I believe that we've already seen this particular dress, Avatar Korra." Korra smirked, a feeling of warmth coiling in her belly as she heard her favorite voice from behind her. Oh, how she had been looking forward to seeing Tarrlok for the entire day, trying to ignore the warm feeling of arousal in her core at the anticipation of seeing him in the evening. She didn't care much for being away from him, but she knew that they both had other duties.

"I don't really do the whole dress thing, so I'd rather just have one to deal with," She responded, turning around to face the Councilman. He offered his hand to her, gesturing with his head towards the dance floor. She smiled, taking his hand and letting him lead her.

"I'd be happy to purchase a new one for you, if you so desire," He said, pulling them into a smooth rhythm.

"I believe I just said that I'd rather just have one," she responded, playfully feigning annoyance. Tarrlok pursed his lips, eyeing Korra's dress as they moved.

"You do look lovely in this one, but surely you'll allow me to buy you another one that is even more flattering...?" Korra rolled her eyes at him.

"How about you just buy yourself a dress, considering how keen you are on the idea?" She said playfully, causing Tarrlok to flush.

"I'm sure that while I would look excellent in it, it would look much better on you," he responded equally as playfully, causing Korra's jaw to drop briefly in surprise before she grinned at him. "Not that it would be much of a feat. You are already very, very beautiful," he said, his voice lowering. Korra felt slightly stupid as a blush crawled onto her cheeks.

"Are you flirting with me, Councilman Tarrlok?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. Tarrlok pulled her slightly closer, reminding her of the last time they had danced in this hall. She and Tarrlok had been dancing, stiffly making small talk, the conversation gradually getting more heated and hostile as they continued dancing. Neither was sure why they kept twirling around the dance floor together, since they didn't seem to enjoy each other's company, but they continued dancing nonetheless. During one song, as Tarrlok spun her around a little bit aggressively, she had accidentally bumped into a nearby couple, pushing her hips into Tarrlok's. She had only a moment to feel Tarrlok's erection pressing into her belly before he let out a low hiss, and grabbing ahold of her hips, pushed her away forcefully. Just like that, their seemingly never ending dance came to an abrupt halt, and they avoided each other for most of the evening.

"Would you find that objectionable, Avatar Korra?" He asked, his hand twitching on her hip uncertainly, bringing her back to the present. She looked up at him, seeing his confidence wavering, genuinely hoping that she reciprocated his feelings.

"I think we've already established that I don't find the idea of you flirting with me objectionable," she said, lowering her voice to keep it from prying ears. Tarrlok felt a surge of happiness rush through him at her words.

"I'm pleased to hear that that's how you feel, as I very much like flirting with you," he said, pulling her even closer to him as they twirled together. She smirked up at him, squeezing his shoulder ever so slightly.

"I've noticed that, Councilman Tarrlok, although you do seem to enjoy more than just flirting with me, as you have demonstrated before," she said, pushing herself a little bit closer to him. Tarrlok let out the tiniest of groans as he remembered stolen kisses in the hallways of the city hall, in the changing room after the other Task Force members had gone home, against the door to his office, his hand winding its way down her pants. "I'm not sure why you're being so shy now, as I've shown you that I enjoy your company on many occasions in the past." Tarrlok glanced away briefly before turning to look at her again.

"I… wasn't sure if… the last time was a onetime occurrence or not," he said quietly, distancing himself from her slightly. "You haven't spoken to me since, so I thought that maybe you had gotten what you wanted, and that maybe… you weren't coming back." Korra frowned at this, pulling herself closer to him again.

"Tarrlok," she said quietly, and Tarrlok shivered at the intimate tone that she used. "Tenzin has been upping my Airbending training time, and with all my other commitments – Probending, your Task Force, trying to keep the people from hating me – I don't have a whole lot of free time left to spend with you, no matter how much I want it." Tarrlok watched her carefully as she spoke, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. "I didn't mean to make you think that I was using you, and I'm so sorry if that's how it seemed." He glanced away, pondering.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think of your other time commitments at all. That was rather selfish of me," he said, turning back to Korra, his face serious. "I suppose I'm rather greedy, wanting to take so much of your time." Korra flushed, a devious smirk crossing her features.

"Well, if you want, Councilman Tarrlok, you can take some of my time now," she said smoothly, contradicting her racing heart. "If you would like that, that is." Korra didn't know it, but Tarrlok felt her rapid heartbeat, felt her blood pulsing quickly through her veins, and he shared a small smirk with himself, having his own private joke.

"I may have to take you up on that offer, Avatar Korra," he said, stopping their spinning. The music conveniently ended at that point, allowing Tarrlok the opportunity to brush his lips over Korra's fingers as they left their dancing stance. She watched him with hooded eyes, smirking slightly. With that, Tarrlok released her entirely, and began to make his way to the exit of the ballroom, towards the stairs the led to the floor where all the offices were. After a few moments, Korra followed him discreetly, not stopping to talk to anyone. She climbed the stairs swiftly, following the familiar path to Tarrlok's office. She didn't pass anyone on the way, and she was thankful for that. She didn't trust her brain at that moment to make reasonable excuses for why she was wandering around the office area with flushed cheeks when she should be downstairs, socializing.

It was dark in the upstairs offices, which wasn't really much of a surprise to Korra, considering how there were more exciting things downstairs - well, more exciting to _other_ people, anyway. It didn't take her long to find her way to Tarrlok's office, the quiet sound of water urging her forward. She caught sight of Tarrlok standing outside his door, watching her cautiously. _So he's still feeling uncertain, I see,_ she thought to herself as she approached him with a smile. Returning her smile, he opened the door for her, bowing as he gestured for her to enter the room. Chuckling lightly, she entered the room, curtseying slightly as she passed him.

She then walked over to his desk, running her hand over the smooth wood, silently admiring the waterfall behind his desk as Tarrlok subtly locked the door behind them. "Have I ever told you that you have a really fantastic office?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips as she continued to examine the room. He smirked as he slowly approached the young Avatar.

"I believe you said something similar the last time that you were in here," he said, stopping a few feet behind her. She turned around, biting her lip as she saw lust mixed with anxiety in his gaze.  
"Did I? I suppose I also made some sort of comment about how you probably don't deserve this nice of an office, and that the money would have been better spent elsewhere," she said smoothly as she reached her hand out, running them along the buttons of his vest. He let out a barely audible hiss as he watched her with hooded eyes.  
"Yes, I remember something like that as well," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "I must ask you, Avatar Korra, do you intend to make this a repeat of our last interaction in this office?" Korra remembered the feeling of his hands on her as he pressed her into the desk, groaning as she tugged at his bottom lip teasingly with her teeth. Tarrlok had managed to get her onto the desk and his hand partway up her shirt before a sharp knock was heard on the door.

"That, and more," she said, teasingly plucking at his buttons before moving her hand up to undo his cravat. Tarrlok drew in a sharp breath, remembering a particular evening after a Task Force mission where they had agreed that what had happened in his office the week before should never happen again. They had shook hands on it, and then suddenly, Korra was pushing him to the ground, and not long after that, riding him into oblivion as he dug his fingers into her hips in desperation. "Besides, I believe that since you locked the door behind us, you have similar intentions."

"Hmmm… perhaps I do," he said slowly, bringing his hand up to cup Korra's face. Slowly, he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers as he brought his other hand forward to grasp her hip. Korra smiled against his lips, pulling the cravat from around his neck before beginning to toy with the fastenings of his garments. Their lips moved together in a steady rhythm as Korra finally started to undo the buttons of his vest, followed by the clasps of his tunic. She let out a small gasp as Tarrlok undid the belt around her waist, slipping his hand up her top. He pulled back, raising an eyebrow at her. "You're wearing a brassiere?" He asked, squeezing her breast through it. She flushed, pouting at him

"Is there some sort of problem with that, oh great and powerful councilman?" She asked, pulling his tunic open underneath his vest and coat. She couldn't help but bite her lip as she saw his chest revealed to her. "When I got this dress, Pema insisted that I get something to shape my breasts a little bit better - or something like that." He smirked at her, slipping his hand inside her brassiere, gripping her breast. She let out a moan, slipping her hand onto his chest.

"Your breasts are already wonderful as is," he said huskily, pulling her shirt up to expose her chest. He groaned at the sight of her heaving chest before he dipped his head down, nibbling at her earlobe. "I appreciate the view, regardless." Korra laughed lightly, pushing Tarrlok's vest, tunic, and coat off of his shoulders, his cravat long forgotten on the floor.

"You're a little bit of a dirty old man, aren't you?" She asked, playfully curling her arms around his neck as he pulled away from her neck to frown at her.

"Old? I'm not that old," he muttered, pulling Korra's top off over her head. He reached behind her, fumbling with the hooks of her brassiere. He furrowed his brow, letting out a low growl. "I must admit that I much prefer wrappings to this silly garment," he mumbled, turning her around so that he might be able to work better.

"Oh, why is that?" She asked, looking at the wall of water again, a pleasant feeling curling from her belly downwards as she saw their faint reflection in the water.

"I get to watch you twirl as I unwrap you, like a present." His words drew a chuckle from Korra, and she couldn't resist pressing her backside into Tarrlok's erection. He let out a hiss at the contact, one of his hands abandoning his task to wrap around her hip, pulling her closer. "Spirits, Korra," he breathed, pressing his forehead into her shoulder. She in turn leaned her head back onto his shoulder, arching her back.

"You see, Tarrlok, the benefit of the brassiere is that I get to press against you this way," she said, turning her head to see his lips parted in arousal. "I can't do that so easily if you're twirling me around." Tarrlok let out a low growl, pushing her down to the desk, her backside still pressed against his hips. She smirked, looking over her shoulder as he fumbled with the hooks, finally freeing her breasts from the brassiere as he slipped the undergarment over her shoulders. He pulled her back up again, pressing his lips to her neck as he ground his hips against her. He set one of his hands to the task of kneading her breast as he used to other to keep a firm grip on her hip. Korra was starting to moan under his ministrations, grinding herself against him roughly, her teeth clenched as he plucked and pulled at her nipples.

"My, my, you are all hot and bothered, aren't you, Avatar Korra?" He said in amusement, causing her to make an irritated sound at him.

"Well, gee, I'm sorry that I happen to be aroused by your presence. I can't exactly help it," she growled, turning her head as she attempted to bite at his lips.  
"I'm flattered that merely my company draws such reactions from you," he said turning his head to brush his lips against the corner of her mouth. "Although I must admit that I'm curious to see _just how wet you are_."

"You're so gross sometimes, Tarrlok," she moaned, taking her hands off of their resting place on Tarrlok's hips to bunch her skirt up around her waist as she toed off her moccasins. Tarrlok let out a low laugh into her neck, sliding his hands around to her back to unclasp her skirt. She let out a frustrated growl, letting go of her skirt to allow Tarrlok to slide it off, along with her various undergarments. He let out an approving 'hmm' as he saw the garments slide down her body, exposing her bare buttocks to him.

"Very nice, Avatar Korra," he said, giving her a squeeze.

"Shut up, Tarrlok," she growled, turning around before taking a firm grip on one of his ponytails. "You talk too much."

"I apologize," he said, pushing her backwards until she was leaning against his desk. "You see, I _am_ a politician, and we politicians are all about talking," he said as he lifted her onto the empty desk, pushing her down until she was lying flat on her back. She smirked at him, pulling her down towards her by his ponytail.

"I'm serious, shut up," she said, gasping as Tarrlok's hand started wandering along her body, plucking at each of her nipples along the way. His fingers made their way to Korra's core, sliding along her wet folds. She let out moan, bucking her hips up towards him. "Tarrlok, stop teasing," she growled, half heartedly hitting him in the thigh with her foot. He jerked slightly at this, frowning at her before he quickly slid two fingers inside her, causing her to moan before kicking him again. "No, Tarrlok, _stop teasing_," she said, her eyes pleading as she looked at him. He raised an eyebrow at her, smirking slightly.

"You really _are_ all hot and bothered, Korra," he chuckled, removing his fingers from inside her, setting them instead to the task of undoing his belt, followed by his pants. "Just how long have you been like this?" He asked, pulling his erection free from his trousers as Korra watched with hooded eyes.

"What did I say about the talking, Tarrlok?" She hissed as he positioned himself at her entrance, one hand holding her hip steady. She gripped the side of the desk with one hand, and Tarrlok's shoulder with the other, bracing herself. "And if you're genuinely curious, I'm always like this when you're -" her sentence ended abruptly with a moan as he swiftly slid into her, a similar noise coming from his mouth.

"Oh, spirits," he sighed, pausing in her for a moment as he felt the blood coursing through her veins, flowing underneath his hands. He gazed at her in awe for a moment, somehow surprised to have such a beautiful creature beneath him, her cheeks flushed as she painfully gripped his shoulder. He would have been happy to stand like that forever, admiring her, but Korra was growing impatient, and began to clench her walls on him, bucking up against him in irritation. He let out a moan, holding her hip more firmly as he began to rock against her, sliding in and out steadily. Korra smiled the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, throwing her head back as she moved her hips with his, letting out a strange mewling sound that caused a low chuckle to rumble in his throat before it turned into a groan. "You were saying something, Korra?" She tightened her hand on his shoulder, causing him to wince.

"Stop talking," she said, clenching her walls around him again as he began kneading her breast. He was about to lean down to capture her nipple in his mouth when he stopped moving, hearing voices outside the door.

"_Whose office is this again?"_ Tarrlok heard a young woman's voice outside the door.

"_Councilman Tarrlok. Wait until you see it, he's got this really incredible waterfall behind his desk." _ Now _that_ voice he recognized. He had heard it many times on accident while listening to the radio after a Probending match that Korra had been playing in. _Bolin._ He looked down at Korra, who was staring at him, her brow furrowed. Tarrlok smirked at her, slowly bringing his thumb up to his mouth, wetting it. Eyes widening as she realized what he was about to do, she shook her head, but he didn't acknowledge her as he lowered his thumb to where they were joined, his thumb hovering over her clit. "_I snuck in here last time, but he didn't seem to notice. I didn't take anything, you know, just in case you were wondering." _She had opened her mouth to whisper something angrily at him when he began rubbing her, and instead she threw her head back, mouth agape. The doorknob turned, and Tarrlok briefly glanced over his shoulder before turning back to Korra, enjoying the sight of her writhing beneath him. "_Damn, it's locked." _He had to stop himself from thrusting again as she writhed beneath him.

She let out the quietest of mewls as he rolled his hips, rubbing against a sweet spot deep inside her. "_Hey, can I have one of your hairpins?"_ Korra looked up at him in alarm, but he simply raised a finger to his lips, his rubbing getting faster.

"_Oh, um... I don't know, maybe we should just go..."_ Korra bit back a moan as her cheeks flushed, beginning to reach her peak.

"_Come on, it'll only take a second. No one's going to come around here anyway, they're all busy downstairs."_ Her breathing was heavy as he rubbed harder, watching her every movement.

"_Okay, if you say so, Bolin."_ Suddenly, Korra's back arched off the desk as her other hand flew to Tarrlok's shoulder, clinging to him as she came, her hips rocking against his still. As she slowly relaxed down onto the table, Tarrlok pulled out of her, pulling his trousers up around his waist as he walked over to the door, smirking to himself. He quickly fastened his pants before he unlocked the door, opening it just enough to see Bolin crouching down, holding a hairpin in his hand. The young man stared at him in shock as Tarrlok glanced at the girl accompanying him, her hands clasped to her mouth in shock. He returned his gaze to Bolin, smiling at him.

"Good evening, sir," he said smoothly, acting as if he weren't half naked, his hair clearly disheveled from sexual activities, and with a hard bulge clearly showing in his trousers. "Bolin, yes?" He asked as Bolin leapt to his feet, bowing to the councilman.

"Good evening, Councilman Tarrlok," he said quickly, blushing. "Y-yes, I'm Bolin, a f-friend of Korra's," he stammered, having a hard time keeping eye contact.

"Ah, yes, you're a member of the Fireferrets, aren't you?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned on the doorframe. He could hear Korra sighing contently inside of his office, and he had to close his eyes in rapture briefly before continuing. "You're the Earthbender, I believe."

"Y-yes sir, I'm the Earthbender," Bolin replied nervously, suddenly realizing the incriminating hairpin in his hand. He moved to put it in his pocket, but Tarrlok interrupted him.

"I believe that hairpin belongs to your lady friend, Bolin," he said smoothly, keeping his gaze on the Earthbender. Bolin's eyes widened, and he sheepishly brought the pin forward again, handing it to the girl that was with him.

"Err, if you would excuse us, Councilman, sir, we need to get back to the party," Bolin said lamely, staring at the ground.

"Of course," Tarrlok said, nodding to him. Bolin smiled awkwardly before he turned to walk away. "Actually, if you wouldn't mind waiting another moment, I would appreciate it." The councilman's words stopped Bolin dead in his tracks. "Now, I am flattered that you like the decorating of my office," he began, and Bolin swallowed nervously, his eyes wide. "But please remember in the future that I will not hesitate to have you arrested if I find that you have been trying to break into my office." Bolin let out a small, dismal sound, his body tense. "Please note that I am letting you go tonight, simply because I don't want reporters coming around, inquiring about the identity of the lovely lady whom I have so thoroughly ravished." He heard a snort from his office, and he couldn't hold back the smallest of smirks. "Do we understand each other, Bolin?" Bolin nodded, looking at the ground again.

"Yes, Councilman Tarrlok," he said, glancing at his companion who was staring at him nervously.

"Very good. Please, carry on," he said with a smile before promptly stepping back into his office, slamming the door. He smirked with satisfaction at the yelp that he heard on the other side of the door. Flicking the lock again, he turned to Korra, who was smiling at him wickedly.

"You're evil, Tarrlok," she said, watching him as he began walking towards her.

"Once again, I'm flattered, Avatar Korra. Now, remind me," he said huskily as he stopped before her, parting her thighs. "Where exactly were we?"

* * *

Tarrlok and Korra both had smug smirks on their faces as they reentered the main ballroom separately. They stayed separate for a while, but before too long, Korra was standing by the councilman's side as he spoke with Hiroshi Sato. Bolin had been standing, chatting with Mako near the group, and when he looked up, he caught Tarrlok's eye. Bolin nodded, his cheeks flushed, and when he noticed the possessive hand on the small of Korra's back, Tarrlok raised a finger to his lips, his message very clear to Bolin. A feeling of shock coursing through him, Bolin looked back to his brother, and tried to keep up a steady conversation, but all he could see was the look on Tarrlok's face as he subtly held the Avatar.


	2. The Tension in the Room

This chapter is not smutty at all, so I'm sorry if that's what you showed up for. I got a little behind on the prompts, but I hope to have politics up later.

The prompt is **Noodles**.

Thanks for reading,

Zenaga the Sea Serpent

* * *

Tarrlok watched Korra as she slurped the noodles into her mouth, her gaze focused on the newspaper that she held. He found her incredibly endearing in her sloppiness, although he sometimes wished that she would eat properly. What exactly had they taught her in that compound in the South Pole? He often wondered that as he watched her going about her daily activities and interactions with other people.  
"I saw you once, in the South Pole," he said, his chin resting in his hand as he leaned on the table. She looked up at him, slurping another bunch of noodles into her mouth.  
"Really? Why were you in the South Pole?" She asked through a mouthful of partially chewed noodles, setting her newspaper down on the table. Tarrlok smirked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Would you believe me if I told you that I wanted to see the beautiful Avatar with my own two eyes, my intentions to woo her?" He asked, and Korra snorted.  
"No," she said bluntly, picking up more noodles with her chopsticks. "That would be a stupid reason to go the South Pole." Tarrlok smirked, turning his gaze to look out the window.  
"I was actually in South Pole on vacation," he said, and this time Korra raised an eyebrow at him. "I have a cabin there, out in the tundra. It's nice and secluded, so no one bothers me there." He said, closing his eyes. "While I was there, however, I stopped by the compound, hoping to meet you." He opened them again, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. "You were doing your Firebending exam that day, so I couldn't speak with you, but I watched you as you did your exam." He smiled to himself, and Korra flushed, swallowing her noodles. "You were stunning to me, your movements fierce and fluid. You had this sort of dangerous air about you that I couldn't help but admire."  
"So… you were in the South Pole not long before I came to Republic City then," she observed, twirling her chopsticks in her soup.  
"Yes, I suppose that's true," he replied. "We wouldn't have met much earlier if I'd had the chance to meet you then." Korra felt slightly sad that although they had the chance to meet a month earlier, they hadn't. It wasn't as if she were missing a large chunk of his time, but there was something about that one missing month that bothered her. Tarrlok noticed the sullen look on her face, and he furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?" She looked up abruptly, smiling at him.  
"Oh, sorry! I spaced out a little bit," she said, holding his gaze. "Nothing's wrong." Tarrlok didn't truly believe her, but he didn't press the topic. They sat in silence for a while as Korra finished her noodles, Tarrlok staring vacantly out the window. Once Korra had set down her chopsticks, he turned to her, smirking.  
"Well, are you ready to head back to the training center?" He asked as she looked up at him, smirking in return. "Our lunch break will be over soon."  
"Hmm... you know, I'm still a bit hungry." Tarrlok quirked an eyebrow at her. She stood up, swaggering over to him with her hands on her hips. He smirked at her as she stopped before him, looking at him mischievously.  
"Well, we can't let you go back hungry, now can we?" With that, she promptly pounced on him.

* * *

"So..." Korra looked up at the sound of Bolin's voice, raising an eyebrow at him. He was examining his nails, trying to act casual, although she could see the faintly nervous look on his face.

"Yes, Bolin?" She asked, setting down her chopsticks on the edge of her bowl. He looked at her, his brow furrowed.

"At the party, a few weeks ago," he began, and Korra felt as if her heart had leapt into her throat. She knew where the conversation was going. "You were gone from the party for an awfully long time." He said, looking back at his nails again. She swallowed.

"Yeah, I suppose I was," she muttered, staring into her bowl of noodles. "What of it?"

"Councilman Tarrlok was gone for a long time too."

"Was he now?"

"You know he was, Korra."

"And so do you, Bolin, so why don't you just spit out whatever is on your mind?" She snapped at him, and he flinched back.

"I guess I'm just wondering..." He paused, glancing at her. "...why him?" Korra exhaled, cupping her face in her hands. She sat like that for a minute or so, trying to find the words that would explain it to Bolin in such a way that he would understand. Realizing that he couldn't possibly understand, she went with the shortest version of the truth.

"He understands me." She responded simply, causing Bolin to look at her in disbelief.

"_I_ understand you Korra," he said, placing his hand over his heart. "There are lots of people who understand you. What makes Tarrlok so special?" Korra felt anger flaring up inside her at his words.

"You do _not_ understand me!" She growled, standing up abruptly. "You might think that you understand me, but you _don't,_" she circled around the table, jabbing him in the chest roughly. Bolin was startled by her unexpected rage. "And how _dare_ you imply that you understand me better than Tarrlok could. You don't know anything about him! How many times have you talked to him? Once? Twice, maybe?"

"I-I'm sorry Korra, I'm just wondering -" he began, but Korra interrupted him.

"No, Bolin, please just stop." She stepped back, glaring at him. "I'm sick of everyone that I love judging Tarrlok so much." She paused, staring at her bowl again. "This is why I don't want to go public with our relationship. Everyone just assumes the worst of Tarrlok, thinking that he's snatched up some poor, innocent girl, not even considering the possibility that _I_ initiated the relationship." Bolin stared at her incredulously.

"You... started the relationship?"

"Yes, Bolin," she growled, circling back around to her chair. "_I_ started the relationship. _I_ wanted to be with Tarrlok. He wanted that as well, of course, but he wasn't going to actively pursue me, so I pursued him instead."

"O-oh... well... that's..."

"That's what?"

"I'm glad that's how it went, but I wasn't really meaning for this conversation to go this way," he said, watching her as she sat down, his words causing her to raise an eyebrow at him.. "Korra, I apologize if I seemed disapproving. I didn't mean it that way at all. I'm genuinely curious what you like about him, and I didn't mean for it to sound like an accusation." Korra stared at him for a moment before she burst out laughing, causing Bolin to smile.

"I'm sorry, Bolin," she said, looking up at him with a sincere smile. "I guess I've just gotten so used to having this sort of conversation with Tenzin that I just assume that everyone feels the same way that he does," she said, gesturing for him to sit. Bolin let out sigh of relief as he took a seat across from her.

"It's understandable that you would have that reaction. From what I've heard, it sounds like he can get pretty vicious for a monk." She laughed at his words, and he laughed with her. "So," he began, waggling his eyebrows at her. "Please, do tell how you two ended up together - and don't leave out any juicy details, please." Korra let out a laugh, and proceeded to tell him, glad to have him as a confidant.

* * *

The first night that Korra had walked through the dining room, a small bag slung over her shoulder, Tenzin's heart sunk. He would be kidding himself if he were to say that he hadn't seen it coming. He had, in reality, been expecting this day for a while.

"Where are you off to at this time of night, Korra?" He asked, slowly setting down his chopsticks as Pema stopped eating, glancing between the two of them. Korra stared at him blankly for a moment before opening her mouth to respond.  
"I'm going to Tarrlok's," she said plainly, her posture tense. Tenzin turned his head downwards, closing his eyes.  
"Korra -" before he had a chance to finish, she interrupted him.  
"Tenzin, we've had this conversation before," she said, her gaze unwavering as he looked up at her with disapproving eyes. "I'm seventeen. In the South Pole, I've been legally responsible for myself since I was fourteen. In Republic City, I've been legally responsible for myself since I was sixteen." She began, the familiar argument flowing from her lips easily. "Legally, I can see whomever I please. You can't stop me from going, Tenzin."  
"Korra, I urge you to think about what you're doing. Tarrlok is twenty years your senior. Does that not seem slightly suspi -"  
"Tenzin, please stop. I have spent a large amount of time during the last few months getting to know him, as well as considering our relationship together. He's harmless, and even if he _wasn't_, the decision is mine, not yours," she said calmly, willing herself not to snap at him. "Besides, you're letting your dislike of him color your judgement."  
"There's a reason why I dislike him, Korra," Tenzin said sharply, taking on a fatherly tone. Pema looked between him and Korra in concern, unsure of what to do. "I've known the man practically since he stepped off the boat."  
"You've only ever known him within the context of politics!" She said, a little more loudly than she had intended. "Have you ever tried to get to know him outside of that?" Tenzin opened his mouth to respond, but upon realizing her point, he closed it again.  
"I think you're making a mistake, Korra," he said, looking down at his unfinished dinner.  
"Yes, well, you've made that clear pretty much since the moment _I_ stepped off the boat," she sniped at him, walking to the doorway. "I'll be back for Airbending training in the morning," she said coldly, stepping out of the room for the final time that night. Tenzin and Pema sat in silence for a while, the meaning of Korra's final jab sinking in. Slowly, Pema rested her hand on Tenzin's, and squeezed it. Eventually, she let go, getting up and leaving Tenzin to brood over his bowl of cold noodles.


	3. The Safe Haven in Tarrlok's Bedroom

_WOW. WHAT IS THIS "GETTING PROMPTS IN ON TIME" THING THAT YOU SPEAK OF?_

_So. Here's the first part of Politics. Yes, first part. This prompt will be at least two chapters, possibly three, at the rate that I'm adding scenes. I have no hope of finishing this all before the end of Korrlok Week, but I'm continuing with the prompts. There's light smuttiness in this chapter, but it's not super explicit. I hope you like it!_

_Thanks to **Golden-Heart the 2nd** for betaing the first pieces of this for me!  
_

_As stated previously, the prompt is __**Politics**__._

_Regards,_

_Zenaga the Sea Serpent_

* * *

Korra stirred as the morning sunlight fell upon her face, glowing warmly against her eyelids. She let out a soft moan as she opened her eyes, beginning to stretch, her blurry eyes noticing the absence of her bed partner. Slowly, she rolled onto her back and sat up, looking around the room. Tarrlok entered the room then, holding a towel around his waist. Korra smirked as she watched him navigate the room in naught but his towel, his still-wet hair clinging to his neck and torso. As he reached for his brush, he glanced towards the bed to see Korra staring at him seductively. "Ah, good, you're awake. You and I both need to leave soon," he said, glancing away as she pulled down the sheet to reveal her breasts. She pursed her lips into a pout, attempting to pose sexily on the bed.  
"But Tarrlok, I'm so comfy. Won't you come back to bed?" Tarrlok looked up at her, his eyes darkening as he saw her nude form, sprawled across his ornate bed. He was struck by how perfect she looked there, dark skin and wild brown hair against white sheets and ice blue blankets, peering at him lustfully. Slowly, he set down the brush, eyeing her appreciatively.  
"Yes, you do look rather comfortable," he said, holding the towel around his waist with one hand, letting the other sway freely as he walked towards the bed. Korra smirked, shifting her hips upwards slightly as he drew closer, a movement that did not go unnoticed. As he reached the edge of the bed, he let go of the towel and crawled into Korra's open arms, allowing her to draw him in for a kiss. They lay like that for a while, faces and bodies pressed together, moving their lips rhythmically. After a while, they broke apart, and Tarrlok nestled comfortably in Korra's cleavage, absent-mindedly rubbing her breast. They lay there in comfortable silence for a while, Tarrlok listening to Korra's heartbeat, feeling the blood pulsing through her veins.

They liked spending their mornings that way, quiet, comfortable. In Tarrlok's bedroom, they weren't Avatar Korra and Councilman Tarrlok. They were just Korra and Tarrlok, two people, sharing moments of peace and intimacy. The both liked it that way, stepping over the threshold of his room and knowing that they didn't have to bring their worries and their duties with them. They didn't talk about each others' work, or the Task Force, or the Equalists, not even Tenzin and Korra's Airbending training. When they did talk, conversation came freely, and without unexpected stress.

After a while, Tarrlok lifted himself onto his elbows, looking into the face of his lover - _girlfriend? - _smiling in satisfaction. "We do actually have to get up soon, Korra," he said, pressing his hips into hers. She gasped as she felt him at her damp entrance, and she smirked up at him with hooded eyes. He let out a groan as he felt how wet she was. "Are you always this wet in the mornings?" He asked, and Korra laughed lightly.

"Whenever I'm sharing a bed with you, my love," she said, tangling her fingers in Tarrlok's wet hair. With that, he pushed inside her, eliciting a happy moan from Korra. "Well, you're not really making the case for why we should get up." Tarrlok simply grunted in response as he proceeded to thrust into her rhythmically, successfully ending all of Korra's attempts at conversation, and replacing them with moans of pleasure.

* * *

The early Autumn day had continued to be warm and sunny, a fact that Korra was very pleased with as she sat eating her lunch outside, taking a break from practicing her Airbending forms. The air had started to get cooler as it drifted into the later months of the year, but the sun was warming enough for Korra to still be comfortable in her tank top, which she appreciated, if only for the comfort and ease of movement. Nonetheless, she was greatly looking forward to Winter, eager for the snow, and the cold, eager for the city to finally look like home to her. And if she were to be honest with herself, she was looking forward to the nights when she and Tarrlok would curl up in his living room before the fireplace, exchanging tales both true and not from their respective Tribes. They hadn't spent much of the previous Winter that way, which she regretted, but she hoped that as they entered their second year together, they would spend even more time together, perhaps developing their relationship into something even more.

As the radio to her right played a catchy jazz tune, Korra looked out at the city, picking out City Hall among them. She couldn't see Tarrlok's house from the island - which wasn't surprising considering how unexpectedly small it was, compared to some of the other mansions in the city - so she settled on watching his workplace, where he probably was anyway. She was starting to find that although he wasn't on her mind every waking minute, when she had a few moments to rest, her mind would drift towards him, and she would find herself missing him. Tenzin was still extremely uncomfortable with the fact that the Avatar was seeing - and _sleeping with_ - his fellow Councilman on a regular basis, but at the constant urging of Pema - "She's _eighteen_, Tenzin. Like it or not, she's free to make her own decisions." - he forced himself to bite back his tongue, only letting a few insults towards Tarrlok slip past on occasion. Korra was grateful to have an ally in Pema, despite the fact that Tenzin's wife wasn't too keen on Tarrlok herself. She often wondered just how much of Pema's distaste for Tarrlok was actually her own, and how much of it was simply reinforcing things that Tenzin said, but Korra didn't dwell on those thoughts for long.

Tearing her gaze from the city to return to her lunch - some sort of weird, traditional Air Nomad curry that tasted strange to her, but was still somehow very good - Korra turned her thoughts to later on in the evening when she would return to Tarrlok's mansion. As she was sitting peacefully, eating her lunch, the radio switched from the swing jazz that had been playing to an eerily familiar voice.

"_Good evening, my fellow equalists,"_ Amon's voice said over the radio, and Korra stopped eating immediately. His voice didn't frighten her as much as it had once before, but it still unnerved her and sent a chill down her spine. "_You may have noticed that recently, Councilman Tarrlok and Avatar Korra's Task Force have continued to focus more on taking down gangs of benders in recent weeks. Although their efforts are __**noble **__-"_ Korra sneered at the radio upon hearing his tone of voice. "_- in the eyes of some, this does not change our mission. Even __**if**_ _they somehow manage to bring down crime rates a significant amount, how does that change the vast cultural divide between the levels of equality that we see in Republic City?"_ Korra pushed away her food, glaring at it. "_We have been quiet these last few months, my comrades, not because our need for this revolution is waning, but because we are __**watching**__, waiting to see them fail. And believe me, my fellow equalists, they __**will**_ _fa-"_ Korra switched off the radio, silently staring at her unfinished lunch. The Equalists had been soquiet over the last few months that sometimes she forgot that there was even a war brewing. She groaned, cupping her face in her hands. She was so incredibly frustrated by the Equalist revolution, and no matter what she did to try to resolve the problem, nothing seemed to satisfy Amon. Nothing, except taking away people's bending - taking away a very important part of themselves.  
Korra let out a low growl, clenching her fists. She just wanted everyone to be happy - why was it so hard to do that? She let out a sigh, unclenching her fists as she stood up. She threw the rest of her lunch in the garbage, no longer hungry. It only occurred to her later that she had wasted food when there were others in the city with nothing to eat. She allowed a feeling of self-loathing to briefly overcome her before she pushed the thoughts out of her mind, and then, she began her trek to the Task Force training center.  
_Take things slowly, Korra, _she told herself. _You can't fix everything right away. Small steps..._

* * *

Korra sighed in contentment, listening to Tarrlok's heartbeat as he took deep breaths, slowing his pulse to a normal rate. She still felt a pleasant thrumming in her core as they both came down from their respective peaks, and she smiled, nuzzling into his chest. He absentmindedly stroked her hair, his mind elsewhere. She had noticed the tenseness in him, but she wasn't going to ask. Most likely, it was some political strain, and they didn't bring such matters into his bed. _**Our**_ _bed_, she thought, pulling herself closer around him, futilely trying to envelop his significantly larger body with her petite one. _This is __**our**_ _bed._ She opened her eyes, watching the movements of his chest, dark skin stretching over muscles and bones, the sight illuminated by the morning sun. She glanced up at his face, surprised to see his eyes open, his expression tense. She furrowed her brow, glancing around for a distraction. Noting the small carved animals that had been resting on display on top of a shelf in his room, she nuzzled into his chest again.  
"Tarrlok?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Where did you get those little figures that are resting on your shelf?" He was silent for a moment as he continued to stroke her hair.  
"I carved them." She looked up at him in surprise.  
"Really?" He nodded, his expression hard.  
"Ever since I was a child, I've been carving things," he said, closing his eyes.  
"Why?" She asked resting her chin on his shoulder. His body was tense.  
"I wanted to be able to make a really beautiful betrothal necklace for my future wife, and it somehow became a hobby over time," he said stiffly, and Korra felt as if her heart had leapt into her throat. "I... I always wanted to be married, but I never really found anyone who I would carve a necklace for." Korra felt tense at his confession, for the first time wondering about their future in a serious way. They were both quiet for a few minutes, until Korra spoke.  
"Are we... are we heading down a path that leads to marriage?" His hand stopped stroking her hair, his muscles taut, as if he were preparing to run. He took a long time to respond, the air between them growing tense.  
"I would be lying if I said that I haven't thought about it before," he murmured, resting his hand on her shoulder. He let out a small laugh. "To be honest, I've wanted to marry you for a long time now." He felt her heart rate increase, and his rose with it, nervousness overcoming him. "I love you very much, Korra, but I feel as if it's a bit early in our relationship to start discussing betrothal." She sat up and promptly perched herself on top of him, her thighs framing his chest.  
"Why do you think it's too early?" Both of them were startled by her sudden insistence.  
"Well, we've only been seeing each other for about a year and a half -"  
"How many days, Tarrlok?" He pressed his lips into a firm line. He was silent for a moment, holding her steady gaze.  
"It's been five hundred and thirty seven days since you first kissed me," he replied, resting his hands on her thighs. She smirked at him.  
"Wrong. It's been five hundred and thirty eight days," she responded, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How many days since we first made love?"  
"Made love, or fucked?" He asked.  
"Made love."  
"Darling, we've been making love since the day we met."

She smacked him on the chest. "Don't be cheesy, Tarrlok." He smirked at her.

"It's been four hundred and ninety eight days since first time we had sexual intercourse in a way that was tender and stereotypically loving," he responded, his fingers twitching on her thigh. She smirked at him, her hands resting on his chest.  
"Well now, since we both remember such seemingly unimportant things, don't you think that means that we are both serious?" They stared at each other for a while, the air becoming tense again. Suddenly, the phone rang, and Tarrlok let out a sigh as he reached for it.  
"Hello, this is Councilman Tarrlok," he answered, his neutral expression quickly becoming downcast as the person on the other end of the line spoke. He brought a hand up to his face, rubbing his temples with his long fingers. "Yes, yes of course. I'll be there shortly," With that, he set the receiver back down on its rest, looking up at Korra who was eyeing him with concern. "There were more Equalist attacks last night. Some of Chief Bei Fong's Metalbenders were captured." He patted her thighs, urging her to get off of him. She did so, gracefully lying back down on the mattress. The Equalist attacks had started picking up again after months of barely anything at all, and the City was once again being thrown into turmoil. "An emergency council meeting has been scheduled. My presence is obviously mandatory." He stood up, walking over to his closet. Korra watched him as he dressed, her thoughts shifting between their discussion about marriage to the threat that the Equalists were posing. As Tarrlok pulled on his coat and closed the dresser, he stood very still.

"They've killed someone, Korra."

She gasped at his words, clutching at her heart. They remained in silence for a while, both thinking heavy thoughts, the cold air of the room chilling Korra's skin and raising goosebumps. Finally, Tarrlok walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. They stared at each other for a few moments before he opened his arms, beckoning her into them. She crawled into his embrace, the fabric of his jacket smooth against her naked flesh. He tucked her head under his chin, stroking her hair again.

"I don't think right now is the best time to have a wedding," he murmured, nuzzling her hair. She closed her eyes, sighing in defeat. "But, if it's alright with you, I'd like to make you a necklace for when all of this unpleasantness is over," he said, Korra's eyes opening in surprise. She looked up at him, and he smiled sadly down at her. She returned the smile, and as she wrapped her arms around his neck, she pulled him into a gentle kiss.

"I'd like that."

His smile became a little bit happier at her words.

* * *

Korra was positively furious about the scene that she saw before her. Non-benders filled the dark street, crying out in anger as Saikhan's men herded them into groups like cattle. From what she could make out over all the voices, the electricity had been shut off in the homes of the non-benders for no reason, and they wanted it back. She turned to look at her companions, finding that they looked just as appalled as she did. Asami in particular seemed upset, her brown eyes blazing with rage. Grinding her teeth in fury, Korra turned back to the scene, spotting one of Saikhan's men standing idly nearby. With Mako, Bolin, and Asami trailing behind her, Korra stormed over to the man, her jaw set. "Where is Saikhan?" She demanded, her voice a low growl. The Metalbender stared passively ahead, determinedly ignoring her. She was about to repeat her question when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.  
"Korra?" She turned around to see Tarrlok striding towards her in his Task Force uniform, his brow furrowed in concern. "What are you doing here?" Korra gaped at him, feeling a cold feeling of shock and betrayal at the sight of him.  
"What am I doing here? Tarrlok, what are _you_ doing here? I thought you were at home." She asked, her voice thick with accusation. Mako and Asami exchanged confused glances, while Bolin wore an expression of dread. Tarrlok's face fell at the tone of her voice, and glanced away guiltily before meeting her gaze again.  
"These Equalists took to the streets after their power was turned off - which, by the way, is in accordance with the curfew that is now intact for non-benders. It needed to be put to a stop," he said, flinching at the look of horror, and then rage that crossed over Korra's face.  
"Tarrlok, these people aren't Equalists!" She yelled, jabbing a finger in the direction of the non-benders that were being corralled. "I understand that with the murder, you have to be cautious, and I can understand the reasoning behind the curfew, but their electricity does not need to be shut off as well. They need to have the power on!" Tarrlok stared at her, his expression less angry than embarrassed and sad.  
"_Korra_, I will be happy to listen to your concerns, but now is not -"  
"No, _Tarrlok_, we need to discuss this _now_!" Tarrlok didn't like the vitriolic tone that she said his name with. "You are taking this way too far. You need to stop this."  
"Please, Korra, I'm just trying to do my job," he pleaded quietly, leaning closer to his lover. Korra gaped at him incredulously.  
"It isn't your job to harass these people! Right now, it's to stop crime in the city," she said, gesturing to the non-benders who were still shouting. Tarrlok's nostrils flared in anger.  
"I _am_ stopping crime in the city!" He growled, pointing at the non-benders as well. "_They_ are committing a crime by breaking curfew!" Korra drew back from his angry glare in shock. Tarrlok suddenly grabbed her arm, his grip tight, but not tight enough to hurt. She noticed that he was avoiding hurting her, but she felt anger flare in her belly as he pulled her closer to him, their faces very close. She saw Mako and Asami jolt forward out of the corner of her eye, but Bolin lifted his hand to halt them, watching the pair carefully. "Korra, please just stop this and go home," he said quietly, his face softening to a pleading expression. Korra felt a jolt of guilt, although she knew that she didn't need to.  
"I'm not leaving until you turn the power back on," she said equally quietly, her expression softening. They stared at each other quietly for a few moments, and then Tarrlok sighed, pulling away. He turned to one of the nearby Task Force members, gesturing for him to come over.  
"Turn the power back on, and direct these people to return to their homes," he ordered quietly. The Task Force member - shooting Korra a remorseful glance - nodded to Tarrlok and proceed to pass along the order. Korra and Tarrlok fixed their gazes upon each other as the lights slowly came back on, their anger at each other giving way to sadness and shame. Mako came forward, putting his hand on Korra's shoulder, shooting a glare at Tarrlok.  
"Come on Korra, we're done here. Let's go," Mako said as Tarrlok glared at him in return. Korra looked over her shoulder, looking at Mako sternly.  
"You three go on ahead, I'll be with you soon," she said, turning back to Tarrlok. Mako let go of her shoulder reluctantly, eyeing Tarrlok again as he turned to Bolin and Asami. The three of them began walking away, but they didn't leave the scene, still keeping Korra within sight. "Tarrlok, what's going on here?" She asked quietly, putting her hand on Tarrlok's arm. He flinched, looking away from her. "We were doing so well. Why this all of a sudden?" He sighed, placing his hand over Korra's.  
"Korra, here is really not the place to talk about it," he said, removing her hand from his arm, but not letting go of it. "I beg of you to let me explain, but _please_, not here," he murmured, intertwining his fingers with hers. He brought a hand up to cup her cheek, and Korra nuzzled into it slightly, her gaze never leaving Tarrlok's. "Come home, and we can discuss this."  
"We don't bring politics into our bedroom, Tarrlok," she whispered, staring at him. He furrowed his brow.  
"Then let's leave the city for a few days," he said quietly, hurrying on with the next part as he noticed Korra's incredulous expression. "I have a cabin in the mountains. We can take a couple of days to work out our... _problems_, and then we can come back. We won't take too long, and they should be fine without us." Korra studied him for a few moments before she nodded in assent. He looked relieved. He squeezed her hand before letting go, glancing at Mako, Asami, and Bolin. "We should be leaving here soon, and then I'll be heading home after that." He paused, looking at her nervously. "Should I... leave the door unlocked for you?" He asked carefully. She studied him for a moment.  
"I'll head over after I sort some things out with the crew," she said, gesturing towards her companions with her head. A relieved smile played onto his lips at her words, his shoulder visibly relaxing.  
"Yes, of course. The new Team Avatar must be briefed, of course," he said, glancing at a nearby Task Force member, clearly awaiting orders. Most of the non-benders had returned to their homes, although there were few that stood around to hurl insults at the benders, the various law-enforcement figures urging them to return to their homes. Tarrlok gestured to the Task Force member that they should begin packing up, and with a nod, he swiftly moved away to do so. Tarrlok looked back to Korra, looking hopeful. "I'm sorry about this evening, Korra," he said quietly, averting his gaze. "I'll see you later."  
With that, he strode off to help pack up. Korra watched him for a few moments before striding back over to her companions. Once she reached them, she noticed the curious looks that they gave her. She raised an eyebrow at them. "What?"  
"Tarrlok has a lot of guts, grabbing you like that," Mako all but growled. Korra's lips pressed into a firm line.  
"Leave it alone, Mako. I can take care of myself," she snapped, glancing at Bolin, who was watching her carefully. "Besides, you don't have anything to worry about with Tarrlok. He's not going to hurt me," she said, although Bolin could clearly see that wasn't the case. "Well, not physically, anyway," she murmured, her words unheard. She looked up at them again, plastering on a fake smile. "Alright, let's head out, Team Avatar! There's still patrolling to do." As she strode away, they followed, but their thoughts were more on her well-being than patrolling the most likely empty streets.  
As they left, Tarrlok watched them, feeling a dull ache in his chest as he watched the love of his life walk away. Something had shifted dramatically in their relationship that evening, Tarrlok had noticed, and the feeling of dread wouldn't leave him. As they disappeared around the corner, Tarrlok returned his attention to the task at hand, trying to push thoughts of the Avatar our of his mind.


	4. The Anger in Her Lust

_So. Forget that whole "oh, maybe 2 or 3 parts for Politics" thing. We're talking 5 or 6 parts. Welp. I hope you like long stories, guys. This chapter ended up getting split again, mostly for a quicker update. I have way too much stuff going on..._

_Anyway, the prompt is __**Politics**__._

_Thanks for reading,_

_Zenaga the Sea Serpent_

* * *

The Satomobile rumbled along for what felt like hours, lulling Korra into a troubled sleep. In reality, they had only been driving for about an hour before Korra was woken by the Satomobile jolting along the dirt road that they were now on. Korra looked over at Tarrlok with sleepy eyes, watching him. His face was set with a grim look, his hands clenching the steering wheel. She sighed inwardly, looking out the window. The world outside was white, the rocky terrain covered with snow. Korra was surprised to see that the world looked so different, considering that they weren't far from Republic City. Tarrlok had been painfully quiet the last few days, and she knew that it was most likely due to a horrible, gnawing feeling of guilt in his belly. She flushed as she saw him absentmindedly rubbing his cut lip, most likely still tasting her on his lips. Korra had woken that morning to a pleasurable licking and sucking on her nether regions. Even though an air of discomfort had settled upon them and their relationship, they still couldn't keep their hands off of each other, although their lovemaking had taken a turn for the violent. She had slapped him on impulse once as she rode him, irritated by the pleasure that he was taking. He had stared at her in shock for a moment before he glared at her, grabbing her hips roughly and thrusting himself into her far enough to hit her cervix. She had yelped out in pain, somehow finding pleasure in it. Tarrlok didn't do it again after that, but both had gotten the other's point.

As they sat in silence, Korra focussed on the dull ache in her womb, a pain that was made sharper whenever the Satomobile hit a bump. Closing her eyes again, Korra allowed the steady rocking to lull her back to sleep, preparing her for the days ahead.

* * *

_Korra opened her eyes and looked across from her, seeing her dearest Bolin eating some sort of strange Air Nomad curry. Glancing around, she noticed that they appeared to be in a pro-bending arena, although it had long since been abandoned. Weeds grew up from the grating between zones, and she could see vines crawling up the walls that lead to the empty stands. Glancing down at herself, she noticed that she was nude, but somehow she couldn't find the ability to be embarrassed as she looked down at the intricate tattoos on her swelling belly. "How is your bloodbender husband?" She looked up at Bolin - who was now eating a bowl of noodles with a big grin on his face - and rubbed her belly._

"_Oh, he's doing very well. He brought home the heart of a fully grown wolf the other day. He's so romantic." Korra's voice sounded strange and flat to her, like the voice of a stranger. Bolin smiled up at her, sucking the noodles into his mouth._

"_A very nice gesture for you and for the baby," he observed, pushing away the empty bowl. She smiled, looking down in front of her. She saw the heart that Tarrlok had so lovingly brought her sitting on an ornate plate before her._

"_Oh, look, here it is!" She grinned. "Isn't it beautiful?" When she looked up, Bolin was biting into the heart, the blood from it running down his arms. She frowned in annoyance at the fact that he had stolen the heart that Tarrlok had so lovingly carved out for her, but she didn't say anything. She absentmindedly began braiding her hair, listening to the slurping sounds as Bolin ate the heart._

"_Tarrlok is a very good hunter," he said, wiping the blood from his face. Setting down the handkerchief, he stood up, brushing off the dust that had settled on his trousers. "I'm so happy that you've allowed me to participate in this, Korra. It's a real honor." She smiled up at him, rubbing her belly again as she watched him begin to paint his face with a traditional Water Tribe design. They sat quietly for a while as Korra watched the patterns moving on her swelling womb, listening to the drums that had begun pounding. Before long, Bolin stood before her in full Water Tribe regalia, offering his hand to her. She took it gratefully, standing up. She followed him over to a full length mirror, peering into it when he gestured for her to. She saw herself there, dressed in furs, the head of a mighty wolf resting upon her own. She smiled as she saw her painted face looking back at her, admiring the spatter of blood across her garments._

"_I look beautiful, Bolin," she observed, and he smiled in response._

"_We have to hurry. It's almost time." She nodded, following him as he began walking into the meadow in the middle of the stadium. She saw Tarrlok there, dressed in a similar way to how she was. His bare feet were surrounded by little red flowers, like tiny blood spatters on the ground. His ice blue eyes were peering at her hungrily from underneath the fangs of the wolf's head that rested upon his own. She smiled at him, her hand resting upon her belly again. His gaze followed her hand, smirking. She eyed him appreciatively, admiring the bit of chest that she could see through his furs._

"_Come here, Korra," he said, holding his hand out for her. She left Bolin's side to stand before her husband, taking his hand. As she stood before him, he tangled his fingers into her hair, pulling her into a rough kiss. Bolin stood behind them, plucking flowers to form a bouquet. As Tarrlok pulled away, he looked down at her bare breasts, cupping one of them. She gasped as he squeezed it gently, a tiny stream of pale yellow liquid seeping out of her nipple and onto his fingers. He smiled, pinching her nipple gently before letting her go. He looked past her, his gaze falling on Bolin. The Earthbender approached them, his hands full of flowers. Korra glanced at him as he held out the flowers for her, the dull thudding of the drums causing vibrations in her core. Taking them, she looked back at Tarrlok, who was now gingerly holding a knife. She glanced at him in confusion as he pulled the knife back, taking aim._

"_Tarrlok, what are -" she let out a scream as he plunged the knife into her belly, his gaze locked onto hers. Blood poured from her womb as he twisted the knife, the red substance mingling with the flowers that fell from her hands. She choked back a sob, her tears ruining the paint on her face. Tarrlok looked at the knife in her belly almost lovingly as a black fog swirled around him, seeping into his flesh. As he exhaled, a plume of smoke fell from his parted lips, curling between them. Through her teary eyes, Korra saw a vast ocean forming in the smoke, and a lone boat rode the waves. Suddenly, the boat exploded and they both flew backwards, staring in horror at the mushroom cloud that was forming. The pain in Korra's belly had vanished, as had the lump that would have been her child._

_She looked at Tarrlok, her husband, and he looked back with sad and shocked eyes. She could hear chanting accompanying the drums now, and as she looked around, she saw all of her previous incarnations surrounding her, their eyes watching her, judging her. Kuruk stood before her, speaking to her with an extended hand, but she could not hear his words. Tarrlok was shouting, apologizing, stumbling over his words. When she looked over to him, he was being restrained by Kyoshi and Aang, his blood spattered hands clawing as he choked up smoke. Bolin stood by, watching impassively. Korra screamed at him to help as she felt Kuruk reach inside her belly, pulling something out, but Bolin simply smiled at her._

"_Congratulations, Korra," he said as he turned, walking towards two Water Tribe men that she hadn't seen before, in real life or in her dreams. Feeling Kuruk pull out the object from within her, she turned to him, staring at what he held. She stared at it, seeing it pulse in his bloodied hands._

_"That's all my child is?" She choked out, sobbing. "My child is just a heart?" She turned abruptly as she hear a chuckle. One of the men that Bolin had approached was kneeling beside her, his lips pulled up into a nasty grin._

_"You misunderstand, Avatar Korra," he said in a voice far too angry for his sweet face. "Blood is an extremely powerful tool. Your own blood can be turned against you if a good puppetmaster is at work." He leaned forward, stealing a ket iss from her lips. Tarrlok was shouting the man's name, but Korra couldn't hear it. As the man pulled away, he nipped at her lower lip. "You are carrying the seed of a rather skilled puppetmaster, my sweet." The man swiped some of Korra's blood from her stomach with his thumb, and bringing it up to his forehead, he smeared a large red dot on his brow. She stared at him in horror as he grabbed her chin, kissing her again. She felt his hand on her breast, squeezing too hard, a small trickle of her colostrum leaking out onto his hand. She let out a cry against his lips, trying to move and push him away, but her limbs were no longer hers. She heard loud snarl before her body was hers again, and the man was tackled to the ground. As she looked over, she saw Tarrlok pinning the man down, his gaze feral as he bared his teeth at the man._

_"How dare you touch my wife, Noatak?" He growled in a way that wasn't human as he pressed a knife to the man's throat. __**Noatak**__. She rolled the name around on her tongue, not letting it slip out past her lips as she watched her husband glare down at this Noatak, something sad flickering in his eyes._

"_Of course, he's not as good of a puppetmaster as I am," Noatak chuckled. Tarrlok immediately seized up, his limbs twisting at odd angles as he was lifted into the air by a force unknown. Korra tried to stand up and help him, but she too no longer had control of her body. Bolin stood by, his face concerned as he watched. Tarrlok coughed, and another thick blanket of smoke surrounded them, taking shape. Korra saw Equalists rallying, taking over the city. She saw benders lining up before a shadowy figure, a man who wore a mask with a large red dot on the forehead. She turned her gaze on Noatak, staring at him through the thick smoke, but he simply lifted a finger to his lips, smirking. Looking back at the smoke, she saw figures fighting, running, dying. And then, all was calm as it became the ocean once more. She felt fear truly take her then as she saw the boat come into view, its motor roaring in her ears. It was too blurred to see properly, but she thought that she saw two figures on the boat, swaying as it rolled along the waves. Suddenly, it exploded again, more forcefully, causing the surrounding people to fly backwards. She had somehow ended up next to Tarrlok as she was flung, and his hand sought out hers. She had gone deaf from the loudness of the explosion, and as she watched the ash and debris fall slowly, like a feather down to the floor of tiny red flowers, all was hauntingly quiet. She could feel sobs racking through Tarrlok's body, but she didn't look at him, for fear of causing him humiliation._

_They lay there for a while, Tarrlok quietly crying, Korra staring at the pieces that fell. Korra felt arms curl around her shoulders and knees, lifting her up. She saw Bolin's face come into view, watching her intently._

"_We can't leave him here, Bolin," she said in that strange, flat voice._

"_We have to. He can't come with us." She turned her head as they began walking away, and she watched Tarrlok as he sat, staring vacantly as the dissipating clouds of smoke. "He can't come with us. This is what you wanted, Korra. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life." She simply nodded in response, still watching the broken man._

"_Yes, this is what I needed. For the baby." Her hands came to rest on her large belly, the intricate designs once again moving in lazy circles. Closing her eyes, she nuzzled into Bolin's chest, inhaling his fresh scent. "For the baby."_

* * *

Korra was woken once again as the Satomobile came to an abrupt stop. Opening her bleary eyes, she saw a large cabin before them, nestled under a thick blanket of snow. She smirked in spite of herself, amused that Tarrlok couldn't resist going all out on a structure , even one hat he wouldn't use often. Tarrlok moved in the seat next to her, letting in a cold blast of air as he opened the door. She shivered, huddling into her seat as the door shut. She was reluctant to get out, reluctant to face the difficult discussions that she had to face. Tarrlok was busy gathering their things from the back of the Satomobile, carrying them to the house. She mulled over her dream silently, watching Tarrlok as he moved across the snowy driveway, looking odd in his traditional Water Tribe garments. She had begun to have dreams in recent weeks, each one getting more violent. She had been alarmed at first, but she had grown used to them. They had simply become another odd thing in her life, another bizarre feature with familiar faces in unfamiliar situations. She frowned, closing her eyes as the faces of the two Water Tribe men came to mind. _They_ were new. And the younger one - she shivered - Noatak was particularly disturbing to her. Both of their faces were so horribly familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place them.

She forced the thoughts out of her mind as she opened the door of the Satomobile, another blast of cold Wwnter air hitting her face sharply. Tarrlok was closing the doors of the trunk as she stepped onto the snowy ground, finding herself unconsciously cradling her belly. Tarrlok noticed the action, but he remained silent as he approached her, falling into step beside her as she walked towards the cabin. She walked soundlessly up the steps, her large boots leaving oddly big footprints in the snow that had collected. As she reached the top, Tarrlok opened the door for her, holding it open as she entered. She nodded to him wordlessly as she walked through the doorway, pulling off her gloves. She glanced around at the dark room before she sat down on the bench by the door to remove her boots. Tarrlok stood, his hand braced against the heavy door as he pulled his boots from his feet.

Silently, he entered the cabin, grabbing one of the bags as he walked towards the kitchen. Korra followed him, looking around her as she went. The cabin was sparsely decorated, but the parts that had ornamentation were clearly Water Tribe. As she glanced into the room with a large fireplace, she noticed faded photographs in dusty frames. She stopped following Tarrlok then, choosing to enter the room instead, making her way over to the fireplace. She peered at the photographs on the mantle, smiling slightly as she recognized Tarrlok, although in the photograph, he was not much older than she. He was dressed in fine clothing as he stood with his arm around the shoulders of a woman with a sullen smile - his mother? - a cheeky grin showing on his face. She glanced over at another photograph, noticing immediately that it was much lower quality than the one next to it. The woman sat next to a large man whose face had been scratched out, her smile much more happy and genuine than it was in the other photograph. She noticed a young Tarrlok - eleven? Twelve perhaps? - standing at his mother's shoulder, and then, much to her surprise, another boy, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, standing next to the man without a face. She furrowed her brow, picking up the frame, bringing it closer to her face. She examined it for a few moments, pondering the unfamiliar figures. She looked up at the sound of feet shuffling. Tarrlok stood in the doorway, his lips pressed into a thin line as he watched her. She suddenly felt extremely tense, like a child who had been caught with their hand in a jar of sweets. They stared at each other for a few moments, not speaking, when Tarrlok finally cleared his throat.

"I suppose that since you've seen those, we might as well begin." His voice was rough as he spoke, his eyes sad as he looked at her. He made his way over to the fireplace, uncovering a pile of wood that stood next to it. She backed away from the fireplace, watching him as he stacked the wood in the fireplace. He worked leisurely, clearly delaying as he took an excessive amount of time to crumple an old newspaper to use as kindling. As he slowly built the stack, Korra gripped the frame, looking back down at the picture. Tarrlok had never told her about his family, no matter how much she asked. There were a lot of things that he didn't tell her, but she never let it get to her. She didn't like talking about the compound much, so she wasn't surprised that Tarrlok had something similar in his past that he didn't want to discuss. But now that she had a photograph in front of her, and that he had said that he was going to tell her, she was growing increasingly impatient with every second that passed. By the time that Tarrlok had started to struggle with lighting the fire with a small box of matches, Korra's patience had run out and she shot a stream of fire into the kindling that he had set up. He seemed to have momentarily forgotten that the Avatar was in his presence because he whipped around in shock, staring at her with wild eyes. Upon recognizing her, he glanced back at the fire that was slowly taking over the pile of wood that he had made. Sighing, he stood up, gesturing for Korra to sit in one of the chairs before the fire.

She complied to his silent request, sitting down on the dusty armchair. Tarrlok took the other, staring at the fire as it glowed in the darkening room. He sat in silence for a few more moments before he wetted his lips, his hands clasped together. "There's a lot that you don't know about me, Korra," he said slowly, tasting each word carefully as it passed over his tongue. "I don't mean to keep secrets from you, but I've always been so worried that you'll hate me if I tell you about my... heritage," he turned his gaze to Korra, finding that she was watching him intently. "As well as the things that I inherited." He went silent then, and Korra felt her impatience returning.

"What did you inherit, Tarrlok?" She asked, her voice gentle, but still prodding. He let out a heavy sigh, staring at the fire as he searched for the proper words.

"I will tell you, Korra, but I ask that you listen to what I have to say, and that you not just shut down after you hear what I am," he looked at her again, his face far more serious than she had ever seen. "Can you promise me that you will listen?" She felt her heart thudding at his serious tone, and he winced as he noticed the rapid beat.

"I promise," she whispered, wringing her hands. Tarrlok nodded, taking a deep breath as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes closed. Slowly, he opened his eyes, his fingers clasped.

"I'm a bloodbender."

She couldn't stop herself from physically recoiling in her seat, as if the very word were an evil, disgusting thing that had suddenly been flung at her feet. Tarrlok didn't look at her, choosing instead to grimace at the fire, gnawing on his lower lip. "I know, it's horrible," he said, furrowing his brow. "You don't know how many times I've wished that I didn't have the ability." She stared at him, suddenly seeing a dangerous stranger sitting where the man she knew had been sitting. "And the worst part is that it's not just a small thing that only comes up once a month, during the full moon," he said, sounding almost indifferent. "It's something that I have to live with every day, all the time." He sighed, resting his face in his hands. "Even now, I can feel your heart pumping, pushing your blood throughout your body." She shivered, rubbing her arms as she stared at the fire. She felt like the fact that Tarrlok could feel her very heartbeat was an intrusion, and although he had been inside her in such an intimate manner many times before, somehow this was _too_ intimate, _too_ close.

"How?" She choked out, staring at the fire. "How are you able to?" Tarrlok was silent for a couple of minutes, steeling himself for his tale.

"My... father was a crime boss from Republic City named... Yakone." Korra sat up straighter as images started rushing through her mind. _There was a man... Avatar Aang and Toph Bei Fong... entering a shabby building... arresting the man... a courtroom... guilty as charged... sickening crunching... limbs at odd angles... oh spirits, blood... so much blood..._ Korra was visibly shaking as she turned to stare at Tarrlok. He was watching her with concerned eyes, sitting on the edge of his seat.

"P-please go on... I... I know who you're talking about," she murmured. "It's just... images... someone's trying to tell me about him." Tarrlok's eyes lit up with understanding.

"That must be Avatar Aang," he said, relaxing into the chair slightly. "He was very involved with Yakone's trial."

"You don't call him 'father' when you talk about him," she observed. "You call him by his name." Tarrlok laughed humorlessly at her words.

"He wasn't much of a father," he said quietly. Korra felt her heart constricting with pity, although she had yet to hear his story. "When Yakone came to the Northern Water Tribe, he no longer had his bending. Avatar Aang had taken it from him, and had him sentenced to life imprisonment," he said. "He escaped with the help of his former gang, and he left for the North Pole with a new face and a new identity." He let out a strained breath.

"He came to the Northern Water Tribe as Suinnak, a Southern man. That's where he met..." He trailed off, running his hand down his face. "That's where he met my mother, Sedna." Korra looked up at him, seeing deep pain etched onto his face. She remembered the face of the woman, young and beautiful. "They fell in love, and before long, they got married and started a family. I was their second child, three years younger than..." He trailed off again, taking a deep breath. "My older brother, Noatak." Korra felt a horrible chill run down her spine as she heard the name. Images of the man who had been haunting her dreams came to mind, his sweet face mocking her as she struggled. _Noatak. Tarrlok's brother. Noatak was in my dreams._ A horrible feeling came over her as she thought back on her dreams. _Tarrlok was a bloodbender in my dreams too._ Horror swept through her, although Tarrlok didn't notice. _Oh spirits... _Images of the boat with the two figures entered her mind, and she recalled the violent explosion which surely ended the lives of the two passengers. She started shaking, the fire before her becoming something dark and ominous.

"We were actually a relatively happy family," he said, "That is, until Noatak and I found out that we were waterbenders." Tarrlok continued his story for some time, telling Korra about how his father had changed, becoming cruel, but she was so absorbed in her thoughts that she couldn't find herself able to focus fully on his tale. She shivered as he told her of the times when he had bloodbent, the man in the room with her becoming more of a stranger with every word that fell from his lips. She wasn't sure how she felt, aside from chilling fear. Chants of _Tarrlok is a bloodbender, Tarrlok is a bloodbender, Tarrlok is a bloodbender _and _Noatak is his brother, Noatak is his brother, Noatak is his brother_ alternated in her mind as she slowly rocked back and forth, staring into the flames. As he finished his tale with the story of how Noatak had wandered off into a snowstorm, never to return, Korra stopped rocking, staring at the flames in confusion. _Noatak is dead?_ He was silent for a while after that, until he slowly lowered himself onto the floor, crawling towards Korra. He stopped before her, kneeling as he stared up at her with sad eyes. She almost smiled as she saw the childlike look that he had about him, but as he reached out and touched her knee, she flinched. He pulled away from her, a hurt look crossing his features.

"Do I... frighten you?" He asked softly, as he lowered himself onto his legs, sitting before her. Korra was silent for a moment before she reached out and brushed her fingers against his cheek.

"I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't a little frightened," she said softly, caressing his cheek as he leaned into her touch.

"I don't want to frighten you," he murmured, tentatively bringing his hand up to her leg again. She didn't flinch away as his hand rested on her shin, the texture of her socks rough under her hands. She moved her hands into his hair, loosening it from it's usual style. He let out a small moan, his eyes closed as he slid her sock down, feeling her bare skin under his fingers. Korra did smirk then, fisting her hand into his hair as she pulled harshly. He let out a hiss of pain as he gripped her shin, his hand large enough to curl all the way around it.

"I know a place where you'll look much less frightening," she said huskily, slightly uncomfortable as she found that she was aroused by Tarrlok's pain. His eyes snapped open, and she saw that they had grown dark with lust. He slid his hand underneath the hem of her baggy pants, running along her skin, the fine hair on her leg tickling him. She kept her face a stony mask as his hand reached her thigh, where he started to make lazy circles with his fingers. Moving her hand from his hair, she caressed his face once more, running her fingers along his cheekbones, over his forehead, down his nose, and over his lips. Her thumb circled his lower lip for a moment before she gripped his jaw, forcing his mouth open. He let out a sound of protest as she slid her thumb into his mouth forcefully, pushing down on his tongue. Narrowing his eyes into a glare, he closed his mouth around her thumb, gripping her thigh as his other hand came up to hold her other shin. He began sucking and licking, keeping his eyes narrowed at her as she watched in fascination. Korra had ended up sucking Tarrlok's thumb on previous occasions, but this was the first time that their positions had been reversed. Her lips parted slightly as he flicked the pad of her thumb with his tongue before biting down softly. She abruptly pulled her thumb out and gripped his chin harshly. "Undress me," she commanded, her voice steady.

Tarrlok eyed her before removing his hand from up her pants, and slid it down to slowly pull off her sock. She let go of his chin as he slid the sock over her heel, down her foot, and off of her toes, lifting her foot to his mouth. He pressed a kiss to her sole, his touch more pleasurable than ticklish. He set her foot down softly, picking up the other to repeat the process of removing her sock. As he kissed the sole of her other foot as well, Korra felt a strange mixture of pleasure and anger rolling through her. Moving his hands up to her hips, he undid the pelt around her waist, dipping his hands into the waistband of her pants. She shifted slightly, allowing him to pull them off. She was always astounded at how Tarrlok always looked so surprised and pleased when he undressed her, as if he were seeing her for the first time. His knuckles brushed over her skin as he pulled her pants down, and she felt herself growing impatient. Before they had pooled around her ankles, Korra grabbed him by his hair, bringing his face close to her crotch. He braced himself, his hands holding the arms of her chair as he looked up at her in surprise and irritation.

"You know what to do," she said coldly, and she felt satisfaction as a brief look of fear crossed his face before he complied, moving his hands to part her thighs further. As he worked diligently between her thighs, licking and sucking at her as if he would die if he didn't, she watched him. She kept a firm grip on his loosening ponytails, making sure that he didn't abandon his task. She almost felt bad for how she was treating him as she considered the story that he had told her, but as she remembered his betrayal in recent days, she pushed the thought from her mind. At that moment, there was only one thing that gave Korra proper satisfaction in those dark times - Tarrlok, the man who had hurt her and others without meaning to, making up for it with his own suffering. He let out a moan against her folds when she bucked up against him, gnawing on her bottom lip. It occurred to her that perhaps he wasn't suffering, but she still felt a sick satisfaction as she watched him, having no intent of giving him his own release that evening.

_Not very Avatar-like, Korra,_ she thought to herself, before she smirked. _But I'm not the Avatar right now. I am just Korra. _Tarrlok bit down lightly on her nub, and she couldn't restrain herself anymore. _And Korra doesn't care much for being Avatar-like right now..._


	5. The Cold in the Cabin

_A/N: Well, that didn't take 5 months to write or anything..._

_The prompt is __**Politics**__._

* * *

Korra woke a few hours later, Tarrlok pressed against her back, holding her to him tightly. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her when she felt him pressed so closely to her, and she hated that. She felt suffocated in his arms, like she was being held captive there. She lay there, seething for a few minutes. Her anger at Tarrlok hadn't abated, although it was now mixed with fear. There were moments when she found herself longing for the weeks and months before, when everything had been rather happy. They talked, and they fucked, and then they talked some more, without any worry. She almost laughed, her thoughts wandering to the conversations that they usually had. They never talked about anything serious, anything important. When she thought about it, they didn't truly know anything about each other, so it was impossible to tell if they actually were suited for one another. She let out a sigh, causing Tarrlok to stir slightly, although he did not wake.

She lay there for a few more minutes, silent as she stared at door. Unable to take the horrible feeling of nausea any longer, she silently slipped out from Tarrlok's grasp, shivering as the cold air hit her bare skin. She heard what sounded almost like a sleepy whimper come from Tarrlok as her body left his, and she felt a brief twinge of guilt. Not looking at him, she pulled on the silk robe that was hanging on a hook near the door, tying it quickly before she pulled the door open.

Slipping into the hallway, she trotted quickly down the hall into the kitchen, shivering all the way. She was regretting her decision to come to this cabin, but she knew that it was probably for the best. It would be difficult to work with Tarrlok if they were arguing, so she wanted to do her best to repair their damaged relationship. Digging around for a glass, she let out another sigh. If she were honest with herself, she did not know if they really had much of a relationship to salvage. She hoped that they did, but part of her knew that her outlook was rather naive. Bending some water from the faucet into her cup, she lifted the glass to her lips and took a big gulp.

Shivering again, she set the glass down and cupped her hands over her mouth, breathing some fire-heated air into them. Rubbing her hands furiously against her arms, she glanced around the dark kitchen, the only illumination a dim, buzzing light bulb in the ceiling. She looked up at it, watching it flicker, struggling to stay lit. Letting out a snort, she grabbed her glass and took another sip. _It seems like our relationship isn't the only think about to flicker out._ Almost as if on queue, she heard footsteps as Tarrlok entered the room, shuffling his feet slightly.

She glanced at him briefly, noting his disheveled hair and the tired look on his face. He offered her a weak smile which she returned with an even weaker one, and then looked back at her glass. "Can't sleep?" he asked, moving to stand beside her. She shivered again, feeling the heat coming off of his body. She couldn't help herself, and she leaned towards him, pressing her arm against his to feed off of his warmth.

"Not really," she replied, setting the glass down again. She slipped her arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder as he in turn wrapped his arms around her. She secretly loved the fact that he was taller than her. She didn't want others to know, but at times, she liked feeling... well, _girly_. Tarrlok brought out that side of her sometimes, with the pretty dresses and the feminine soaps.

Tarrlok had begun stroking her hair as they rocked ever so slightly, and Korra let out a low hum of approval. She was still mad at him, of course - she didn't let a grudge go so easily - but she wanted intimacy, she wanted to be touched, to be loved. "Will you brush my hair?" she asked quietly, nuzzling his chest. Sometimes, they would brush each other's hair. That was one of Korra's favorite things, because to her, it was the most intimate and loving thing that they could do.

"Of course," he said. Releasing each other from their embrace, Tarrlok took Korra's hand and led her back out into the hallway, and to the bedroom. The room was dark as they entered, but Korra lit the lamp near the bed as they entered, illuminating the rather bleak room. She sat down on the bed, shivering once more in the cold air, so she pulled the blankets up around her. Tarrlok was at the dresser, looking at the various items that they had brought with them, including three different hair brushes. Korra thought that bringing three brushes was ridiculous, of course, but she had still not been speaking to him at the time, so she hadn't said anything.

Selecting one that he had purchased for Korra, an ornate, delicately carved, lavender colored hair brush, he crossed back over to the bed and sat behind her. Taking her hair into his hand, he began to brush, going slowly so that he didn't hurt her when he came across a knot. Neither of them said anything as he worked, their bodies casting lazy shadows on the dresser. Korra watched them, finding them entrancing, and before long, she felt herself beginning to nod off. He kept brushing, long after all the knots were gone, simply enjoying the feeling of the bristles running through her brown locks.

She found herself leaning back against him, which of course impaired him greatly in his task, but he simply wrapped an arm around her front and brushed her bangs. They continued like that for quite some time, silent, save for the sound of bristles in hair, until finally, Tarrlok set the brush down and planted a small kiss into her hair. She smiled slightly at that, forgetting all her dark thoughts for a few moments. Slowly, Tarrlok slipped his hand inside her robe, seeking out her nipple. Her eyes shot open at that, and she looked up at Tarrlok. He was staring down at her, his eyes hooded.

Part of her wanted to say no, since she knew that they were not headed down a good path, and that they needed to change, but then he slipped his other hand between her thighs, and all thoughts of objecting were gone.

* * *

Korra was unpleasantly woken from her slumber, a deeply unsettling feeling gripping her heart. She lay there for a moment, fear clinging to her entire being as she kept her eyes squeezed shut, her body tense. Something was very wrong, but she couldn't tell what. She willed her breathing to slow, slowing her racing heart with it. _Calm down Korra, she told herself, breathing quietly. Think... what woke you up?_ She furrowed her brow, trying to remember what she had been dreaming about. _Lying on a bed, Tarrlok, smoke in the air, kicking from inside the womb, Bolin with a bouquet of red flowers._

Opening her eyes, she looked around the dark room, immediately noticing that something was missing. _Tarrlok_. She sat up quickly, glancing around wildly. She remembered what had woken her up. _Thud._ She cautiously crawled over to Tarrlok's side of the bed, looking over the edge. He wasn't there either. She felt his side of the bed, noting the lingering body heat. She whipped around at the sound of floorboards creaking somewhere in the house. Slowly, holding her night shirt tighter around herself, she set her feet on the floor, listening very carefully. All had gone silent in the house again.

She stood, slowly walking across to the doorway, avoiding the floorboards that she knew creaked. As she reached the door, she stood with her back against the wall, cautiously putting her hand on the knob. All remained silent, so she slowly turned the knob, opening the door. She let go of the handle, allowing the door to swing open silently. After listening for a few moments, her heart pounding in her chest, she looked around the doorframe, examining the room outside of hers. It was very dark, but she couldn't see anything out of place. She frequently glanced around her as she slowly entered the hallway, walking to the next room. As she entered the room, she noticed a faint beam of light. As she began walking towards it, treading the familiar path to the kitchen, all remained silent. And then, as she reached the next hallway, she stopped dead in her tracks, hearing something she wasn't supposed to hear. _Voices_. A man and a woman were whispering, and Korra felt her pulse become even faster as she heard them. She felt sweat running across her skin, despite the cold air in the cabin. "... we still here? We've got him, we should go," the female voice said in irritation. A sharp 'shh' came from the man.

"Amon thinks that they might be someone else here," he said quietly enough that Korra had to strain her ears to hear. She could feel panic rising as she tried to think of a plan. Thinking, she let the warmth of fire curl inside of her, waiting in a warm glow for the moment in which it would be released. She slowly began walking, quietly, her eyes fixed on the doorway. She saw their shadows moving, looking around the kitchen.

"Don't you think that we should turn out the lights or something?" The woman asked, her shadow stilling. Korra silently made her way to the entrance of the hall that lead to the kitchen, her back to the wall.

"Don't bother. It'll be easier to keep an eye on this one if it's light. Besides, we have the outside surrounded. Even if there's someone else here, they won't get away," the man responded, his voice thick with irritation. The woman huffed at him, and Korra could see her shadow turn towards the counter.

"Who does he think is going to be up here anyway?" She asked. "Tarrlok doesn't have any lovers, does he?" The man laughed.

"I should hope not. This man is absolutely vile." Korra covered her mouth in shock as she heard a dull thump and a muffled grunt.

"Hey, don't kick him. We're not supposed to hurt him." Korra felt flames licking under the skin of her fingers, aching to burst forth.

"I don't remember being given such an order." Korra had moved away from the wall, and she slowly crept towards the doorway, tiny sparks flickering in her palms.

"Yeah, but, you know, it kind of seems like it's more decent not to, you know?" There was another sickening thud, and Korra had to stop herself from letting a torrent of hot flames burst forth from her lips.

"He's never been _decent_ to others, so why should I be decent to him?" Another thud. Korra clutched at her shirt, biting back the anger. Taking a deep, silent breath, she was prepared to burst into the kitchen and free her captive lover, when she suddenly felt quick hands jabbing her chi points. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream as she fell backwards, falling into decidedly male arms. Looking up at her attacker, she saw a mask which had once haunted her nightmares. Pale blue eyes stared down at her from behind the mask, and she felt her stomach drop.

"How lovely to see you, _Avatar_." His voice was quiet enough that the two Equalists in the kitchen didn't hear him. Grabbing her by her limp arms, Amon lifted her to her feet, pinning her front-first to the wall. She stared at him over her shoulder with wide eyes as he held her arms against her back uncomfortably, his body far too close to hers. "I suspected that we might find you here, although I must admit that I didn't expect to see you so..." His low voice paused as he glanced down at her nightshirt. "...scantily clad." She shivered, feeling an unpleasant sensation run down through the goosebumps on her skin. She tried to move against his grip, but she found that she could not, the muscles of her body not cooperating.

"Tell me, Avatar, why exactly are you running around in the middle of the night, in naught but a nightshirt, in a cabin belonging to a man twice your age?" He leaned close to her ear, close enough that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. He pressed agonizingly closer, and she found that her hips had enough ability to move that she wriggled in an attempt to escape. He didn't make a sound as he brought his free hand to her hip, gripping it painfully as he steadied her. "Well, do you have an answer for me?" She glared at him, her outer rage barely masking her inner terror. She pressed her lips together in a thin line, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

She could hear the two Equalists still speaking in the kitchen, unaware of the scene that was unfolding only ten feet away. "You're going to make me guess, are you?" He let go of her hip, bringing his hand to the hair that covered her neck, and pushing it aside, he examined the dark bruises. He let out a small hmm as he ran his fingers over the marks, his gaze cold. Korra barely suppressed the feeling of nausea that rolled over her. "Such lovely bruises," he murmured, pressing against one of them with his thumb. "I see our councilman has been busy." She ground her teeth together, fighting back tears as his hand leisurely wandered across her shoulder and down her back.

"Tell me, _Korra_, if I put my fingers in between your thighs, would I find his semen?" As he purred in her ear, Korra felt blood rushing to the apex of her thighs, a fact that she was horrified by as she felt that familiar warmth. "Would it be dried on your skin, or would it still be _wet?_" For one horrible moment, she thought that he was going to follow through with his disguised threat, but instead of moving his hand further down her body, he gripped both of her arms with both hands, pushing them up to an even more uncomfortable angle. Korra let out the tiniest of hisses at the pain, squeezing her eyes shut.

Hearing the sound that she made, he pushed her even further into the wall, pushing himself flush up against her. Korra almost laughed as she felt not only her nearly bare breasts squished against the cold wall, but a horrifyingly familiar harness against her backside. _What's that phrase again? Caught between a rock and a hard place?_ She almost smiled, but as she realized the implications of their positions, a feeling of horror crept into her. _Surely he wouldn't... not here... there are people nearby..._ "It's a known fact that Councilman Tarrlok is positively mad for you, but who would have ever guess that those feelings were reciprocated?" She wanted to scream, but her vocal chords would not cooperate. "Tarrlok is so _careful_ about his private life, going so far as to bribe journalists to leave him alone, so perhaps it's not a surprise that no one knew," he said huskily, somehow leaning even closer than he already was. "Although I must admit that I suspected that he had a silly _girl_ running around his house at all hours, sharing his bed." She glared at him out of the corner of her eye, parting her lips. "Tell me, what is it about him that you care for? Is it his money? His influence? Sexual prowess?" She snarled at his implications, and she felt a low chuckle rumble through him. "Or perhaps it's something more personal. A piece of home? Although he is a man of Republic City, perhaps because he's Water Tribe, you feel some sort of strange kinship towards him?" Much to Korra's horror, Amon had begun very subtly rocking against her, his grip on her arms painfully tight.

Willing her vocal chords to work, she wetted her lips briefly before speaking. "Is this how you get off, Amon? Sexually harassing women and interrogating them about their personal lives? That's a little bit twisted." He immediately froze against her, and she could see him glaring at her through the mask. He suddenly gripped her hair, pulling her head back and he forced himself even further into her personal space.

"I apologize, Avatar. In the dark and from behind you look similar enough to one of my lovers that I found myself getting a little excited," he said coldly, his grip on her hair painful. Pulling her away from the wall, he gripped her wrists with one hand, and the back of her shirt with the other. She felt humiliation rush through her as she realized that he had pulled up the nightshirt enough to reveal the dark hair at the apex of her thighs. He promptly marched her to the kitchen and flung her inside, causing her to ram into the island in the middle. She let out a cry as she made impact, sliding down onto something large and warm, and somewhat soft... The two Equalists had jumped in surprise as Korra flew into the kitchen, landing with a thud onto Tarrlok. "I found what I was looking for," Amon said steadily, the tiniest hint of self satisfaction creeping into his tone.

"Is that the Avatar?" The woman gasped incredulously, watching the nearly nude girl from underneath her hood.

"Indeed it is," Amon purred, slowly stepping into the kitchen. "Who would have thought that Councilman Tarrlok would have been able to bed such a supposedly powerful person?" Sliding off of Tarrlok, she looked him over before struggling into a defensive crouch before him, glaring up at Amon. She clenched her fists at the looked up into those cold, unfeeling blue eyes. Oh, how she despised that man. She had lived in fear of him, but now all she felt was anger. The two Equalists assumed defensive positions as Korra snarled, shifting awkwardly, her limbs still not fully operational.

"Now now, there's no need for that, Avatar," Amon said with a sneer in his voice, causing Korra to grind her teeth in anger. "Despite all evidence to the contrary, you are a girl, not a wild animal." She was about to snap at him, but a low groan came from Tarrlok and she immediately turned towards him. He was looking at her with a confused and dazed expression, his brow furrowed.

"Korra," he murmured, attempting to roll onto his side, but instead he let out a hiss and clutched at his side where the male Equalist had been kicking him. Korra let out an unhappy sound as she placed her hands on both of his shoulders, easing him back down. Her fear was beginning to show, and Amon found the sight to be very pleasing. She quickly turned around once more, throwing her arms in front of him in a protective gesture. The male Equalist let out a bark of laughter, relaxing slightly.

"There's no need for that," he said with a snide tone. "He's not a threat to us anymore." Korra's eyes widened at that, turning to stare at Amon as she lowered her arms. _Tarrlok isn't a threat anymore? _The words were puzzling to her, but only because she wanted them to be so. She knew what they meant, but she so badly wanted them to not be true.

"He's not a bender anymore," Amon said coldly. She stared at him a little longer before she turned back to Tarrlok, who was now staring at grain of the wood floor, his gaze sad and despondent. She had always known that it was a possibility, but the reality was cold and painful, and she shuddered. Tarrlok, a bender who was so powerful, so cunning, was reduced to _this._ She felt a sort of numbness overtake her, and she simply stared at the floor as well. Tarrlok had been taken down, and now _she_ was going to be taken down. This was it, the moment that Amon had promised would come. He was going to take away her bending.

She didn't look up as he walked towards her at a painfully slow pace, no doubt internally gloating. She knew that she should fight, but she didn't. She thought it was kind of funny, in a way. Of all the times that she could have shut down and simply stared at nothing, feeling guilty about all of the stupid things that she had done, it had to be when it mattered the most that she did not cease to function. He stopped in front of her, and she took a moment to admire his shoes. They were very worn, she noticed, and the thought that it made sense. After all, when there was a revolution afoot, who had time to purchase new boots?

Leaning down, Amon fisted the collar of her shirt and pulled her up, the shirt once more riding up uncomfortably high. He stared at her through the holes in his mask, and she feebly lifted her eyes to return his gaze. "Aren't you going to struggle, Avatar?" he purred, tightening his fist. "I must admit that I'm a bit disappointed." _Struggle? Whatever for?_ She had heard what the Equalists had said. There were others posted outside, and with Amon inside and without her bending, it would be impossible to get both her and a practically useless Tarrlok outside and far away from the Equalists.

Grabbing her by the hair, he marched her to the corner, away from Tarrlok. He then pushed her down on her knees, and Korra was placed uncomfortably close to his crotch. He held her there for an uncomfortable moment before he released her hair and circled around to stand behind her. "Perhaps it's fitting that the end of the Avatar is so bleak, so unimpressive," he said, placing a hand tightly on her shoulder, his thumb tracing teasingly over her face. She shuddered and closed her eyes. It was unfortunate that she was going to let so many people down. She thought of them as Amon touched her, his eyes wandering over her body, and she wondered how long it would take for them to notice that she was missing. She wasn't due back for another day, after all. Tenzin would probably be the first to notice, and then maybe Bolin. Korra grimaced, her guilt overwhelming. She was letting them all down.

It was a huge shock when suddenly, a shriek was ripped from the throat of the female equalist, who promptly when flying across the room. Amon whipped around, only to be knocked to the ground by an enraged Tarrlok. Korra let out a weak but joyful sound as she saw him, his blue eyes wild with rage. Hearing the crackle of electricity, Tarrlok whirled around and, avoiding the electrified bat that was being swung at him and hitting the Equalist square in the chest. Korra didn't have a chance to speak before Tarrlok grabbed her, pulling her up after him as he began to run, exiting the kitchen and going into the living room. Korra opened her mouth in a silent cry as they leapt through the window, the wood frames cracking loudly as two bodies shattered them.. As they toppled out into the snow, Korra fell to her knees for a moment before Tarrlok pulled her up harshly and made her run once more. She could hear voices approaching, and she knew that they had to get away quickly.

She wanted to scream at the feeling of the cold snow against her skin, but she didn't have time to stop and warm herself. Even if she did, she could feel that her bending wasn't back yet, and it wouldn't be for a while. She wanted to cry, but she didn't, knowing that they would have time for all of that later. She could hear Tarrlok beside her, panting as they ran. He let out a low groan every now and then, but she did not look at him, and she did not stop. They had to get away. She thought that she heard him trip at one point, but she kept going, knowing that he would not be stopped by that. After a while, the sound of Equalists died down, but still she kept going.

She ran for a long time, the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. The snow was painfully cold against her bare feet, and the wind and the snow was harsh against her nearly nude body, but still she ran on, knowing that all would be well when she and Tarrlok were finally to safety. They would make up, and they would talk about their problems, and then they would deal with the Equalists, and then they could be married and then at last they would be _happy._ Such thoughts pushed her forward, kept her going, and they helped to take an edge off of the overwhelming fear that had her in its grip.

She ran for ages until finally she could run no more, and she could not hear the Equalists following. Collapsing against a tree, she grasped desperately at the bark to hold herself up as she took in huge gulps of air, the coldness of it hurting her lungs even more. She let out a few sobs of mixed relief and pain, taking the moment to calm down her ever racing heart.

"We're alright," she sighed, closing her eyes, shaking against the tree. It was so silent, so blissfully silent. "Tarrlok, we're alright." It took a few more moments of standing in that beloved silence for Korra to realize that something was very wrong. Opening her eyes abruptly, she whirled around, her gaze met by yards of empty snow, the only disturbance a single pair of footprints. She felt her stomach drop, and the panic began to rise again.

"Tarrlok?" She said hesitantly, no longer leaning on the tree as she walked back out into the clearing that she had found herself in. Her voice was met with only more of that now dismal silence. She waited a few moments, hoping to hear anything at all before she called again.

"Tarrlok?" She called more loudly, glancing around wildly. "Tarrlok, where are you?" She called again, following her footsteps back as she kept calling for him. Her heart was pounding in her ears again, and she felt her stomach churning in despair as she felt her eyes beginning to burn. "Tarrlok!" She cried, running now as she continued to look. She knew that it was not wise to be so loud, but her panicked mind would not listen, it's only thought being the location of Tarrlok. Hot tears began to pool in her eyes, spilling out and running down her cheeks. She screamed his name, her voice harsh and breaking. "Tarrlok!" She was running again, looking for him, but she could not find him.

Letting out a sob, Korra fell to her knees, burying her face in her cold, pink hands. Tarrlok was gone.


End file.
